Dispensing apparatus



Patented Sept. 11, 1934 IDFSPENSING AlPPARATUS illarence ill. Wilkes, Schenectady, N. Y.

Application September 14, 1933, Serial No. 689,478

l Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and has special reference to an apparatus for depositing mustard or other condiment or seasoning upon the walls of an opening formed in a roll or biscuit preparatory to producing a sandwich. Patrons of eating places, especially roadside sandwich stands, have developed a taste for sandwiches made by depositing a sausage or like commodity within an opening bored into a roll or biscuit from one end thereof. Most of the patrons of these places desire mustard or other seasoning applied to the roll and heretofore it has been difficult to apply such seasoning in a neat manner. The present invention provides a simple and compact mechanism whereby seasoning may be applied evenly uponv the walls of the socket or bore in the roll without smearing and without inconvenience to the operator. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter first fully described and then more particularly defined in the appended claims,

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a dispensing apparatus embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figurel,

Figure 3 is a detail section showing a slight 39 modification of the discharge nozzle.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a support 1 which may be of any suitable construction but is illustrated as a standard rising from a base 2 and having a goose 5 neck formation at its upper end. The base 2 may be secured in any approved manner upon a counter or other support, as will be understood. The standard may be hollow or solid, as desired, but I prefer a tubular formation so as to avoid unnecessary weight, but whether tubular throughout or of a solid formation, the extremity of the support should be tubular, as shown at 4. Within the tubular extremity of the support which is turned laterally, as clearly shown in Figure 1, there is engaged a trunnion 5 proagainst the inner surface of the cap so that if the nozzle be turned home against the cap the tube will be firmly clamped in place. The end of the tube within the cap is formed into diametrically oppos e Wings 12 which form guides ror the coupling sleeve 13 to which is pivoted the upper end of a plunger rod 14 which extends from the coupling sleeve through the tube into the discharge nozzle and, within the nozzle, carries a plunger 15. The lower end of, the nozzle is preferably tapered or oi'conical formation and is provided in its side walls with openings 16 through which the mustard or other seasoning may escape. The coupling sleeve 13 is engaged upon the threaded end of a lever 17 which is secured in a hub 18 rotatably fitted in bearings 19 formed in the wall of the cap, the hub fitting closely within the bearings so that there will be no leakage of the material which is to be dispensed.

The cap 6 is provided near its open end with an internal annular flange 20 which forms a stop for the mouth of a jar or container 21, the jar being externally threaded around its mouth to engage internal threads on the cap, as shown at 22, and an external rib or flange 23 is formed upon the jar to abut the end of the cap, as clearly shown in Figure 1, so that the container cannot be inserted so far into the cap as to interfere with the movement of any of the working parts. A vent 2 1 is provided in the closed end or bottom of the container to admit air thereto when the device is in working position so that there will be no stoppage of the flow when discharge is desired. When the container is being filled any convenient plug may be inserted in the vent, as will be understood.

The operating lever 17 extends outwardly beyond the hub, as clearly shown in Figure 1, and is equipped with a handle 25 of any convenient form, a retractile spring 26 being attached to the lever and to the edge of the cap, as shown. It will now be noted that the spring 26 holds the parts in the position indicated in full lines in Figure 1, the container being inverted and the discharge nozzle depending therefrom with the plunger 15 adjacent the lower end of the nozzle immediately above the outlet openings. The plunger, consequently, acts as a cutoff to prevent outflow of the mustard or other condiment when the parts are in the position stated. When mustard is to be discharged, the handle 25 is pressed downwardly to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, thereby raising the plunger to a point adjacent the upper ends of the wings or guides 12 and above the bottom of the cap. A suificient quantity of the condiment to fill the nozzle may thereupon flow into the nozzle, but the openings 16 will retard the flow to such an extent that there will be no appreciable escape of the condiment until the plunger is depressed. If the handle 25 be released, the spring 26 at once contracts and returns the parts to the position shown by full lines in Figure-1, thereby causing the plunger to move downwardly within the nozzle and eject the mustard or other flavoring which has flowed thereto. As the escape openings 16 are in the side walls of the discharge end of the nozzle, the flavoring will be sprayed onto the sides of the opening in the roll, as will be understood. It will thus be seen that a measured quantity of the seasoning will be deposited upon each actuation of the plunger, and inasmuch as the roll to be sprayed is held up on the nozzle with the end of the nozzle within the roll, there will be no smearing of the flavoring around the end or side of the roll and the operator will not be subjected to any inconvenience. When the entire content of the container 21 has been discharged, the set screw '7 is loosened, and the container and the cap are then turned with the trunnion 5 serving as a pivot until the container is in a pendent vertical position below the cap whereupon the container may be easily removed and a new container, with a fresh supply of the flavoring, engaged in the cap, after which operation the parts are returned to the inverted position shown in Figure 1.

It is sometimes desired to discharge the flavoring in a fine stream which will pass at once to the closed end of the bore in the biscuit and to meet this demand, the nozzle 27, shown in Figure 3 may be used. This nozzle is the same in all essentials as the nozzle 10 but difiers therefrom in having -a single escape opening 2'8 in its top instead of the openings 16 in the side walls. 7 v

The present apparatus is exceedingly simple and compact and may be produced at a very low cost while its operation is certain and easy.

Having thus describedthe invention, I claim:

1. A dispensing apparatus comprising a container, a cap engaging the container and having an opening in the bottom thereof, a tube fitted in said opening and having its lower end exteriorly threaded and its upper end provided with spaced upstanding guide wings, a discharge nozzle engaging the threaded end of the tube, a plunger fitted in the nozzle and movable from the discharge end thereof to a point adjacent the ends of the guide wings, a rod carried by the plunger, and an operating lever mounted on the cap and connected with said rod.

2. A dispensing apparatus comprising a container, a cap engaging the container and having an opening in the bottom thereof, a tube fitted in said opening and provided with a guide disposed within the cap, a nozzle having one end thereof secured to the tube and its other end provided with a discharge opening, a plunger slidably mounted in the nozzle and movable from the discharge end thereof to a point adjacent the guide, a rod connected with the plunger, a hub mounted in the side of the cap for rocking movement, and an operating lever having its intermediate portion extending through the hub and its inner end pivotally connected with the rod.

3. A dispensing apparatus comprising a container, a cap therefor, a central opening in the closed end of the cap, wings extending within the cap at the opposite sides of the opening, a dis-- charge nozzle carried by the cap in axial alinement with the opening, a plunger fitted in the nozzle andmovab'le from the discharge end thereof to a point adjacent the ends of the guide wings, a rod carrying the plunger, a lever mounted in the side of the cap and connected to the rod, and means acting on the lever to yieldably hold the plunger at the discharge end of the nozzle.

4. A dispensing apparatus comprising a container, a cap therefor, a discharge nozzle carried by the cap, guides within the cap 'alined with the nozzle, a plunger fitted in the nozzle, a rod carrying the plunger, a hub mounted in the side of the cap for rocking movement, a lever adjustably fitted through and carried by the hub and pivoted at itsinner end to the rod, and means acting on the lever to yieldably .hold the plunger at the discharge end of the nozzle.

CLARENCE H. WILKES. [L..s.l 

